The Princess and The Yautja
by TheVoidsArtist
Summary: A Princess is suppose to marry a Prince, right? Young Kayle is thrown into an arranged-wedding by her father, but she doesn't love the Prince and she runs away the day before the wedding. While wandering the forest at night, she's attacked by bandits. Then, a savior of a different kind shows up, and he becomes her knight in shining armor, but he didn't do it just to save her...
1. Princess and Prince

Kayle pouted, sitting lazily in her throne. She hated it all, being a princess was tougher than one would like it. You always had to be proper, act it, look it, pretty much be perfect with every little detail. Not to mention the fact that you had to marry someone you might not even like.

And that was exactly what the prince that had been chosen for her was. She hated him with a burning passion, and she had to marry him in two days. He was from a neighboring kingdom, one that was in truce with her own, and while he liked her for her looks, she didn't much appreciate it. Kayle wished she was like other women, not having to care if they're proper, being able to choose their own ways.

She sighed, then quickly sat up-right in her throne once the door to her room had been opened. It was her father and her mother. Her mother was a thin woman, long flowing brown hair, a beautiful dress, and not to mention her grace. Kayle took after her mother more than her father, having almost the same attributes, but her blue eyes came from her father.

Her father was a some-what large man, his stomach jiggled every time he took a step, his beard combed to be neat, and his hair wasn't entirely all there, but his crown hid it enough so no-one would notice. They were both adorned with gems and jewels, showing their wealth.

Kayle herself wore a small tiara-like crown, the norm for a princess in her time. Her dress was long, almost the same as her mother's, only hers was a beautiful baby blue and not a grape-violet.

"There's my little daughter!" her father laughed, walking over, "the little Queen-to-be!"

"Dad, please..." Kayle muttered, looking away as if embarrassed.

"I hope you're excited about your wedding, my love." her mother smiled warmly, walking up to her as she took her hand, a gesture for her to stand up. Kayle did so, staring at her mother, "it's a special day. I know you may not like who you're marrying now, but you'll come to it. When you spend enough time with him and all..."

"Mom, I don't want to marry that guy, he's way too... I don't know, selfish?" she shrugged, taking her gloved hands away from her mother as she rested them at her sides, looking to the ground.

"Oh, trust me! That's exactly how your mother felt about me first time we met." her father laughed, his belly rippling like small waves caused by a raindrop, "You learn to love them later in life, trust me."

"Besides, dear, Prince Malin isn't as bad as you think he is." her mother spoke softly, pulling her into a short embrace, "You'll make him happy, and he will make you happy as well if you just give him a chance. We meet tomorrow for the rest of the wedding plans, you're going to be getting to know him as us and his parents talk as well."

Kayle rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't say anything, she just went to her room in the east wing of the large castle. It was getting later, the moon soon coming out to play with all the small stars that began to join in the small part the moon brought. She had walked out on to the balcony, staring up at the sky.

For a moment, she had thought she saw a trickery of the night, the air shimmered far away, then it was gone. She checked it off as nothing, then slowly retreated to her room. She slipped out of her dress and into something much more comfortable before laying on the large bed. She didn't bother in shutting the doors that lead to the balcony. It was a warm night, the breeze was much more than welcome.

She dreaded what was to come. She had to talk with that damn prince that she detested.

Kayle had thrown on a different dress, this one was red with golden ribbons and small flowers detailing all around it. She also had flowers put into her hair as they braided it. She hated it when they did that, her hair tugged so hard at her skull she got headaches. Again, the pains of being a princess.

She rode in the carriage along with her parents. she tuned them out as they talked about riches, what they'd do once she was married, blah blah blah. It bugged her to no end. She didn't want to get married, she wasn't ready for it. Especially with someone like Prince Malin. Ugh.

"Kayle, dear, are you alright?" her mother asked, looking to her. Her father just grinned broadly, patting her shoulder.

"I'm certain she's perfectly alright, dear! She's probably just holding in her excitement in meeting Prince Malin again."

"..Yeah, sure..." she mumbled.

After a two hour ride, they had arrived at the kingdom. Stepping out of the carriage, the two families exchanged pleasantries and walked into the large castle. Kayle let out a soft groan as Malin ran his mouth about how he envisioned their life together would be like. The average thing. Kids, controlling the town they'd be the King and Queen of, plans, yada yada.

"That's nice..." she shrugged, walking beside him, making sure her dress wasn't touching the dirty grass of the garden she had been lead to by Malin. He was showing her around, telling her things about the flowers, the gardener that cut beautiful animal-looking bushes. She just nodded and agreed, saying 'oh that's interesting' and all the things along those lines. She already couldn't wait to go home.

Malin, by the way, wasn't that bad looking of a guy. He had short, black hair, a strong jaw, looks that could make any woman, but Kayle, weak in the knees. He also had a very interesting taste in wardrobe, mixing and matching his outfits. It was weird the way he dressed, but all that wasn't what Kayle had a problem with. It was just the way he acted, talked, and treated people lower than him. He was only nice to her because she was a princess.

It was all good in a sense, until she heard a sudden scream. Her mother it sounded.

She and Malin ran towards the source, what were they doing out near the forest? Kayle took a moment to catch her breath, just about to ask what was wrong when she saw it.

There ,hanging from a tree upside-down, was a skinned body. They couldn't be sure if it was a guard, or a citizen. They all stood, bewildered.

"Who would do such a thing?" Kayle's father boomed, staring at the dripping, bloody body.

"Bandits. Twisted ones, or a witch." Malin's mother shouted out.

Kayle wasn't certain what sort of witch or bandit would do this to a person and leave it out for all to see, but whoever it was, she was now both scared, and slightly interested to see who could do such a thing. The body looked fresh, too, like it had just been hung. Fresh blood still dripping from all the pink meat. It sent shivers down her spine.


	2. Run-Away

Kayle acted shaken-up about the incident, like a normal woman would. Her and Malin's mothers were freaking out over the whole skinned human deal, while the fathers were checking to make sure all the guards were still alive, for it could be just a simple peasant. It wasn't everyday you'd see something like that. Sure, there were public executions, cutting of someone's head or whatever; but cutting off all their skin so flawless like that? Not something a regular person could do.

Kayle's parents decided to call it a day and head home, saying Malin's parents could think of the rest of the wedding plans. That made her more than happy, though, seeing as she got away from the talkative Prince. She really didn't like him, if it wasn't clear already.

"Father, I don't want to marry him, I hope you know..." Kayle softly spoke as they stepped out of the carriage. Her father boomed with laughed, patting her on the back lightly.

"Nonsense! He's the only Prince around that we found suited for you. He'll be fine. You really just have to-"

"-Give him a shot, I know, I know. I just really don't want to. He's selfish, and all he talks about is how great he is... I know, a Princess is suppose to marry a Prince... But... he's not the one for me.."

"Kayle! I've had enough of this." her father roared, turning to her, "You are going to marry Prince Malin, or so help me Gods!" he narrowed his eyes at her dangerously, "Go to your room. You will stay there until the wedding is set-up. Understand!?"

"Fine!" Kayle yelled, tossing off her heels before running to her room, being sure to pick up her dress so she didn't trip on it as she ran. She slammed the door behind her, placing her back up against it as she sank to the floor, bringing her knees to her chest as she hid her face in her lap.

_Crash!_

She jolted, hearing something clatter to the floor. She quickly looked up, standing. Her jewel case had fallen to the floor, beads rolling around. Then, there, a shimmer of light moved. She squinted, trying to get a better look at whatever was in her room.

Two twin flashes of light appeared then vanished. She saw it bolt, open the doors to the balcony and jump off the railing. She quickly ran to the balcony once her feet managed to become unglued from place, looking over the edge for whatever it was that was inside of her room. Nothing. She had forgotten to lock the doors to the balcony when she left earlier that day, that must have been how it got in.

She quickly retreated back into the safety of her room, shutting the twin doors. She looked towards her desk, leaning over to pick up the beads and necklaces that has fallen to the floor from the box that had been knocked over. She placed the slightly broken box onto the desk, looking to see if anything had been taken.

Everything seemed accounted for.

Actually, no. Something was missing. It was her bone-like necklace that had the strangest of symbols etched into some of the bones and colourful beads. Her grandfather had found it while out enjoying the view of the wilderness. He said it was hanging on a tree limb, like someone had thrown it up there or something. He managed to get it down, and he wasn't sure what to do with it.

Her mother had a fit on her eighteenth birthday when her grandfather gave it to her, about how bones were nasty things and that she shouldn't be wearing it around her neck for it made her look like a ruffian. Honestly, Kayle liked the sound of it. She wasn't really the Princess type anyway.

She sighed as she sat down, looking out to the sky through the window panes in the doors. She'd wait till nightfall, then, she'd run away. She wasn't planning on getting married, no matter how much her father yelled at her. She was going to do her own thing.

Kayle sat for hours on end in her bedroom, every ten minutes checking to see where the sun was at in the sky, wishing and begging for it to go down quicker. She threw off the dress she had been wearing, throwing on her favourite blue dress. She decided to tie-up her long hair with a golden bow, trying to make it as short as she could, she didn't want it to get hung-up on any branches.

A servant brought her her dinner, seeing as she wasn't allowed out at dinner time. Cooked meat, bread, and a cup of water. She looked out the windows once again, seeing the sun was just beginning to set over the horizon. Perfect. She quickly ate what had been brought to her, handing the servant her plate then swatting him off.

She had to think of a plan, now that it was dark enough, to sneak out of the castle. Her parents usually fell asleep when the moon was at it's highest, but she really didn't want to wait that long. She looked to her bed sheets, quickly removing each and every one, even grabbing the pillow cases. She began to tie them all together as quickly as she could, testing them once she had finished to make sure they'd all stay together nice and tight.

She let out a soft sigh, putting on a pair of comfortable slippers before she tip-toed out onto the balcony, wrapping one of the ends to the railing while throwing the other off. It was long enough, thankfully. She lived on the second story, so she had to be just perfect with length, maybe a bit longer.

Kayle gulped, swinging herself onto the other side as she grabbed the make-shift rope, slowly climbing down to the ground. She set her feet down on the grassy earth, making sure she was fully there before releasing the rope. She looked up at the castle as she backed up, giving a small grin. "Not going to order me to marry anyone now." she giggled softly, picking up her dress as she ran into the forest.

Okay, so, maybe going at night wasn't the best plan, especially without a lantern. As the sun went down lower and lower by the second, the darkness began to creep and entangle Kayle, causing some tree limbs to look scarier than they should have. She kept her best eye out for anything that could help.

After five minutes of walking, a small fire came into view and she let out a relieved sigh, running towards the sight. She stopped behind a tree, looking around the camp for any signs of life. And just as she thought it was clear, something grabbed her arm, a hand coming up to her mouth to stifle her scream.

Bandits! Three of them, at that.

"Well well well, what have we here?" the one holding her spoke up, grinning devilishly.

"Looks like the Princess." another spoke from behind him.

"How much do you think we could get for her?" the third laughed.

Kayle wiggled, trying to free herself from his grasp. No good, he was way too big and strong for her. She whimpered as they dragged her fully into the camp, tieing-up her hands and legs so she couldn't get away, and also putting a gag in her mouth so she wouldn't make any noise to alert anyone.

"Again, how much do you think we can get for her?" the scrawny male asked, grabbing a rock as he pulled out a dagger, sharpening it.

"I dunno. But, I'd imagine it'd be a pretty god price, since Princess' are hard to catch." the stronger out of the three spoke up, grinning.

Kayle whimpered again, feeling her stomach tie-up in knots. What the hell was wrong with these guys? They'd burn in Hades' fire for all eternity for sure. She looked up to the sky, praying to the Gods for a savior, any kind would be the better. She felt tears spring to her eyes as she struggled, trying to get free. Nothing.

"Oi! Don't try anything over there, ya hear!?" one of them shouted at her.

Her beautiful dress was getting covered in grass and earth stains with all her wiggling. She felt like a caterpillar, honestly. She stopped moving once she heard something snap. A twig, not that far away from her. The bandits didn't seem to notice it at all.

A strange cackling came out of nowhere, and as she slowly turned to look at the being, it crouched down next to her, placing a finger against his expressionless mask as if to tell her to be silent.

His hair was something she'd never seen before, not being in strands like her own, but more like tubes, and his skin was lizard-ques, being lighter on the stomach before molting into a darker colour on his back. His choice in armor was different than that of the regular knight, the only things looking armor related were the shoulder pads, the wrist gauntlets, leg armor, and whatever was attached to his back that had the smallest cannon she'd ever seen attached to it, the rest of his body was protected by a tight netting. The scariest thing about him though, was the skulls he wore around his neck like some wicked necklace. They were large and looked to be of exotic animals.

He let out a growl, causing all the bandits to look towards him, quickly standing as they hurried to their weapons. One holding a bow, another a sword, and the other with his silly dagger. Blades suddenly shot out of the wrist gauntlets the being was wearing as he approached the three, his back arching as he got closer, looking to see who was going to make the first move.

He was tall, taller than all of the bandits, even the stronger one. Kayle didn't know who he was, nor what he was doing here, but she hoped he didn't get hurt.

The larger bandit yelled and lunged at him, swinging his sword. It almost seemed to easy for him, for he just brought up his arm, the ridged blades colliding with the long sword. He growled, his other hand coming up as he drove the blades into the male's chest, ripping out to the side, watching him fall to the ground limply.

The other bandits became frightened, the one holding the bow frozen in fear. A red light appeared out of the being's mask, the three dots slowly moving up from the bandit's chest to his forehead.

Kayle couldn't believe her eyes, what she saw was unreal. A blast of blue energy shot from the small cannon on the being's shoulder, causing the archer bandit's head to explode into pieces. He looked towards the third and last bandit, taking long strides towards him. In a matter of seconds, he stood before him, staring down at the cowerding human.

She wasn't sure what he was going to do, all she knew was, he was her savior from the sky, the Gods had heard her prayers and gave her this strange mythological-like being. She heard a scream, then a struggling for breath. The creature was holding up the bandit by the throat, high above the ground, his legs kicked and he tried to free himself.

Kayle managed to spit out the gag, coughing a few times, catching his attention. He growled, throwing the bandit to the ground, the cannon charging up before a blast of white-blue light took the male's head clean off, leaving nothing of it.

Fear began to take hold of Kayle's body as he walked towards her, head cocking back and forth. She wiggled, trying to get away, but he placed his foot lightly on her side, rolling her onto her back so she was staring up at him.

Her eyes widened as he knelt down, staring at her face. Her heart began to pound up against her chest. Maybe he wasn't quite the savior, maybe he was going to kill her. She closed her eyes, waiting.

Nothing.

She blinked, then the next thing she knew, she was freed from her bindings and she was thrown over his large shoulder. She wiggled, lightly hitting his back with a fist.

"P...Put me down! P-put me down I say!"


	3. The Hide-Out

Kayle had stopped her struggling once she had figured that he wasn't listening to her. Where he was taking her, she was unsure of it, she could barely see, even when the brightly lit moon shone through the gaps in the large trees of the forest, it still didn't help. At least she wasn't freezing, he seemed to be radiating warmth, and it felt nice against her cool body, even through the soft cloth of her dress. It wasn't burning, either, it was nice and warm, not uncomfortable at all.

She had been thankful that he had decided to not kill her and help her instead. It still irked her though, how his skin felt when she accidentally pressed her smaller hands to it, his pure muscle, how fast he seemed to be going even while he was just walking.

Kayle didn't want to touch the large pack he had on his other shoulder, not knowing what it contained or what it did, well, she knew there was a strangely small, yet powerful weapon sticking out of it. But that was all, other than that and the blades from his wrist gauntlets, she knew nothing else of him, knew nothing of the other dangers he may be carrying on his large form.

She wiggled around, placing her hands on his massive shoulder-blade as she tried to pull herself away from him, even though she knew she'd probably hurt herself from the fall somehow, landing on a rock or a stick. It didn't seem like he was going to have that, letting out a low growl as he lightly dug his devilish claws into her hip, not enough to puncture through the skin, but it was threateningly close to it. She squeaked, quickly stopping everything she was doing. She didn't want to be hurt, and he could do it too if he wanted. She bet he could throw her with ease as if she was some sort of child's toy. She'd prefer not to know, honestly.

So, there she just hung, watching dark trees pass by, listening to the night owls playing their trumpets, the wind making the leafs of the trees sing a lonely, sad melody as it flew past, and the bugs and crickets playing their own little tunes of the night. It was peaceful, the larger being not even seeming to make any sound as he walked. It was amazing how stealthy he could be, just like that, not having to crouch, watch for twigs, anything that could cause the slightest disturbance within the darkness. How did he manage to do such a thing? He must have been taught from a young age, she'd never be able to be that stealthy, even if she tried. Kayle was slightly jealous and envious of it.

What was his deal? He didn't talk to her, he didn't tell her anything when she asked him questions. He was just silent. Maybe he didn't understand her? That could be a possibility for his quietness. He didn't seem human, most certainly a being from another world, that was what he was. So mysterious, armed with weapons of the future and not of the day she lived in. She wouldn't have thought it possible to be able to create such small cannons that could shoot such devastating rounds. There were guns around, being able to shoot out small bullets that still did damage, but not as much as... whatever this guy's gun could. Kayle knew he was intelligent, too; the way he acted, how he knew those men were threats that needed to be dealt with, and of course, his advanced weaponry. No stupid creature could ever just make a small cannon that shot out blue fire balls, being able to explode a human head like it was a watermelon.

He grunted, and that caught her attention, dragging her from her brew of thoughts that bubbled in her head. Kayle tried to look over her shoulder, to see what was going on. He had stopped, looking around. Did he sense something? It wouldn't surprise her if he did, his abilities and senses must be far beyond her own. He growled, backing up a few steps, being sure to not step on any fallen leafs. How could he manage that without even seeing anything? Maybe it was the mask, it may have aided him in seeing in the dark.

Kayle listened closely, trying to hear what he may have heard. There was distant chatter, a few lanterns guiding a small group of people around the darkness of the large forest. It was easy to get lost in here, she had when she was a wee little girl. She remembered crying out for her father and her mother as she sat beside a large tree, lost and alone. A guard, thankfully, heard her cries while he was wandering the forest and he came to get her. Kayle shook her head, laughing lightly to herself. She was such a curious girl when she was younger, even to this day some of that curiosity followed her, but not as much as it had.

She let out a soft gasp as she was suddenly swing around, now resting in his arms as if she was a baby. He growled, watching the small group before he jumped up into the nearest tree, holding a large hand over her mouth as he did so she didn't make any sounds or noises that may alert the guards that were patrolling the forest. She tried to get free from his grasp, wanting to be in the safety of her own kind, but he wasn't having it. He gave a threatening growl, his grip on her tightening as he looked at her, even though there was no expression to be shone thanks to the mask that covered his own face, she could tell he was glaring at her, daring her to make more noise.

She didn't. She just stared back into the lenses that gave off a light shimmer in the moonlight. Kayle heard voices getting closer, the light of the lanterns getting closer and closer, eventually passing underneath the tree. It was then that she got a better look at his skin. There were spots of red-orange along his arms and legs, and along his sides where the light pale yellow molted and changed into a deep orange. Kayle was mesmerized at the difference until the light vanished and she was left staring at just a dark figure.

He had been watching them walk past, head tilting to the side as he leaned forward, almost crushing Kayle as he did so. She began to slam her fist into his chest, also hitting his wicked necklace, causing the skulls and bones that made it up cackle as they hit together.

His attention was drawn to her, a hiss escaping him. She tried to look away, look at anything but at him, even while it was dark she could still feel his gaze burning holes into her small form. He chuffed, releasing her mouth before he held her tight to him, jumping down from the branch he had taken cover with. He looked in the direction the group went before he continued his walk, once more tossing her over his shoulder.

Kayle groaned, "This is so rude... You don't even tell me where we're going, what you're going to do to me..." she sighed, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face.

**"...Won't.. Harm."** he growled out.

She was surprised, her stomach suddenly tightening, that feeling like her stomach had come up to her throat appeared and she felt sick. He knew English? That was a bit concerning, that meant he knew everything she had been saying to him.

At least he wasn't planning on hurting her, that was a plus. If he did, she was sure he would have already. But, what was he planning? He had to have some reason around this, right?

"...Where are we going?" Kayle asked, looking at the ground as it practically zoomed past.

**"...Will see..."** he grunted, a strange trill following after his words.

"... How much longer?" he didn't seem to know a lot of English, she'd have to keep her vocabulary to a minimum.

**"... Little bit."** he purred.

Kayle lightly tapped her fingernails on his shoulder-blade, they had been walking for what felt like two hours. She wanted to be set down already, her legs had fallen asleep. She liked to walk around a lot, not sit and do nothing all day, it wasn't fun.

At long last, her feet touched the ground after ten more minutes of silence and walking. They almost gave out on her when she was set down, but she caught herself. She glared up at him, picking up her dress as she puffed out her cheeks.

"Look, mister, I don't know what game you're playing at, but this isn't fun. I know, you saved me, but you can't just..." she stopped talking as he took a step towards her, making her instinctively back away from the larger being, almost tripping over her own feet. They had been asleep, and now they had pins and needles running through them, the worst kind of thing to have. "Y...You c.. can't just... uh..." she hesitated, holding up her hand as if to try to stop him from walking towards her more as she backed away. For every three steps she took, he just had to take one step before being close to her once more.

He grunted, grabbing her hand before he began to tug her along, causing her to almost trip as she had to run to keep up with his steps which were long and powerful.

"Slow down! Slow down, I say!" she pleaded, tripping over fallen branches and small piles of dirt. She would have fallen to the ground if he didn't catch her every now and then. Well, not really catch, more tug her arm up so she could get a good footing on the ground. "I don't have long... strong... toned legs like you do..." she hushed herself, looking to the ground. He had a lot of extremely attractive attributes that she couldn't help but look at, even in the dim lighting of the forest. He was not like anyone she'd ever seen, so buff, so strong, so fast and unremarkably fascinating. Kayle stopped when he did, her smaller form nearly bumping into him.

She blinked, staring at the cave mouth that was dug into a large rock-side that they had come to. He released her hand, only to take it gently between two of his large fingers as he began to slowly, and carefully walk into the cavern, looking to her as he waited for her to enter after him. She didn't wish to follow, not knowing what danger lurked in the cave, and she wasn't sure if she could trust him enough to not be lead into some sort of trap. But, she felt some-what safe next to him, so, she couldn't help to follow close by him, not wanting to be alone in the dark, his hand being the only way of telling where to go.

Kayle followed him down, squinting her eyes to try and adjust them to the dark environment. She listened to the sounds he made when he took a step, how different it sounded from her own. She was lightly stepping, trying to avoid small rocks or whatever could be lurking there, while he seemed to just be walking without worry, his feet colliding with the ground, claws lightly tapping the floor with every step.

Eventually, Kayle saw a light, it wasn't bright like a fire, but it was just bright enough to see. Kayle felt a bit scared. She heard soft trills and clicks as they approached the innards of the cave. She looked around as he released her hand.

It was large, the roof of the cave extended up high, off to the side was a small lake that glowed with gentle blue light. An underground water hole, how interesting. But, that wasn't the only thing, there was a small blue fire roaring in the center of the cave that seemed to have slightly died, but was still dancing and flicking with life.

She froze, seeing three other figures near the back of the cave where the alien being began to walk to. They were staring at her, their heads tilting back and forth like they were studying her. She didn't know what to do, she was frozen with fear, her feet glued to the ground and her mouth dry.

Oh joy. There were others to deal with now.

And one of them had her necklace strapped to their belt!


	4. Argument

Kayle kept her distance from the small group of otherworldly beings. She wasn't sure what she was doing here, why the one had taken her, nor why the hell they had her necklace. Was it originally theirs or something? It was highly unlikely, her grandfather found that just laying around in the woods, if it was theirs, they shouldn't have left it where he could find it.

She kicked at the ground with her shoes, hearing them talking to each other in some strange language. She wrinkled her nose, stepping a bit closer to try and at least make out some words. They weren't words that she knew, they sounded more like a mesh of random letters put together with a little bit of clicking and growling involved. She couldn't make out anything, and so she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't expect them to know english, but it sure would help a lot.

"Are you going to acknowledge me, or _not_?" she spoke up, causing the four beings to look in her direction for a few moments, letting out soft trills before they went back to conversing. Well, they at least _noticed_ her, that was about it. She sighed, walking to the pool in the cave before crouching down, looking at it. She'd never seen such a beautiful pond before, the way it shimmered with light, giving off a gentle bright blue glow. She was captivated by it. If the beings weren't going to talk to her, then she wasn't going to bother with them or give them the time.

* * *

**"Cha'na, why did you bring the Ooman here?"** L'ma, the Elder of the group, spoke towards the young blood, his hands clenching in to fists as he stared at him, expecting an answer. L'ma was the tallest out of them, standing at eight feet in height. He was older and wiser than the rest of them, only here so he could evaluate their skills as hunters, and also there to help them search for a Yautja that had gone missing a couple of months ago.

Cha'na kept his gaze fixed on L'ma's Bio-Mask, not daring to look away or show any signs of backing down. He puffed out his chest some, but not enough to accidentally issue a challenge of might, **"... I brought the Ooman here because she may be able to give us answers."** he grabbed the necklace off the belt of Na'tu, one of his brothers, and held it up, **"This belonged to one of our clan's Elders. I'm sure you know this... I found this in her bedchamber..."**

**"Yes. I know. Half our reason of being here is to find Elder Sar'nu, and for me to evaluate your hunting skills."** he snatched the necklace away from Cha'na and stuck it into a small satchel on his belt. He didn't break eye-contact with the younger blood as he did so. He pointed towards the Ooman,** "See if it knows anything. We may be able to find Sar'nu with its' help."** he grunted, crossing his arms over his chest, **"We may also be able to use her for some of your training, cause she's not returning until Sar'nu is found."**

**"Hmm. Na'tu, M'cet..."** he looked towards his brothers, nodding. They nodded back. He held out his hand to L'ma, and the Elder grabbed the necklace out of the satchel and handed it to him. The trio then began walking over to the young Ooman, Cha'na being the one in-front of the other young bloods.

* * *

Kayle looked towards the strange beings, eyes widening as they had began walking towards her. She stood up straight, taking a few steps back. She was terrified and was trying not to show it, her mother always told her a Queen should never be afraid of anything, no matter what. Her heart was pounding up against her chest, acting like a wild animal that was trying to rip free of bindings or chains. Her hands became shaky, along with her breath.

They stopped, the one that had saved her, but also in a way kidnapped her himself, held out the bone necklace, a low grunt escaping him. She exhaled, reaching over to take it, so glad to see the gift once more. She didn't know how she'd react if she never saw the last gift her grandfather ever gave her.

"My necklace... Why do you have it?" she managed to get out, trying to bury the fear deep inside herself.

The other growled, retracting his hand, not letting her dare touch the piece of jewelery. She blinked, quickly pulling her own hand back in case he was planning on hurting her, because it was obvious he wasn't going to let her have it.

**"Better question... Why... do... _you_... have it?"** the male snarled, taking a step closer to her.

"..I'm... sorry?" Kayle took a step back, trying to keep as much distance from the intimidating creatures as she could.

**"Where... did you... find it?"** he demanded, not seeming to wish to toy around with her. Kayle looked at the ground, everything around her felt like it was spinning. Her mind had gone blank and she just couldn't think of anything to say. The answer was on the tip of her tongue, but her mouth had gone dry, causing her to not be able to talk right.

She shut her eyes, taking in a calming breath. She shouldn't be scared, he wouldn't dare hurt her, right? He had no reason to, she would be unworthy prey. She brought her gaze back to the towering dangers.

"My grandfather found it in the woods. He gave it to me for my eighteenth birthday, which was just awhile ago." she held her head up high, trying to keep her eyes connected to his even while they were hidden behind the big lenses of his mask. "I don't know where he found it, all I know is that he saw it hanging on a branch while he was just wandering and that's it. He didn't say much else about it, just that he thought I'd like it... He passed away a few weeks ago." she frowned slightly, kicking softly at the ground.

**"... More..."** he grunted. Kayle blinked, looking at him.

"What?"

**"More information."** he hissed.

"I don't have anything else to say, that's all I can tell you guys..." Kayle couldn't help but avert her gaze away from the being, "I wasn't with him when he died, so, sorry..." she muttered.

**"..."** he let out a soft trill, looking towards the two other beings that stood beside him. **"You'll be staying here until we find who we're looking for... You can still be of some use to us..."**

"And how's that?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

**"...Bandits.."** one of the others spoke up, crossing his arms, **"We can... use you... as bait."**

"I'd rather not! That's not how you treat a princess!" Kayle argued.

The lead one growled at her, causing Kayle to quickly back down and keep her gaze focused elsewhere. "...Sorry... I just didn't figure that guys like _you_ needed help getting things to kill..." she bit her lower lip, acting silently dramatic, "I mean, I'd much rather be here than back home... I'm being forced to wed someone I don't like, so..." she sat down on the ground, brushing some dirt off her dress, "I suppose it's for the best... If I think about it, in a way, you're helping us by getting rid of bad people. So... about the necklace.." she held out her hand, making puppy-dog eyes at him, "...can I have it back?"

**"No." **

Kayle groaned, "Why not?"

**"Because. This belongs to an Elder of our clan. We're not going to let you keep something that rightfully belongs to one of our most respected Elders."**

"...What was an Elder doing here? and if he wanted it so badly, why did he leave it here?" Kayle questioned, not even thinking about it.

One of the two that stood beside the lead one growled while he took a few steps towards her, instantly making Kayle regret what she said while she backed up the best she could, her back coming into contact with the wall. He stopped right in-front of her, staring her down, his hand inches away from her throat.

**"Don't. Say.. Things.. Like that... Ooman. You don't know just what those words can do..."** he growled, keeping her pinnd to the wall without even touching her.

**"M'cet... Leave her alone. She doesn't understand is all..."**

**"Maybe we should teach her."** M'cet spoke, looking back to his brother, **"If she's going to be staying here... she needs to be taught how to act towards us. Elder L'ma can easily do that."**


	5. Hunting

Well, this most certainly wasn't what Kayle had expected to happen. At least they didn't try to kill her, that was a very large plus. However, she had been practically dragged over to the taller of the group, forced to kneel in front of him.

How dare they lay their barbaric hands upon her! What gave them the right to order and drag her, a princess, around like she was just a simple servant? They must have seen themselves so superior to her or something.

Which, in a way, she guessed they were. Their strength was un-matchable, and their height was unbelievable. She'd never met anyone as tall as them, the only thing she could think of that were bigger than them and almost the same were Giants, which, sadly, didn't exist but it was still a thought. Her mother had told her many stories about the Giants, and Kayle was always so intrigued at the thought of beings so large.

Not to mention their muscles. Even the Goddess' would have given dreamy sighs at the alien being's muscular bodies. There were not that many men out there that looked like these guys did, even the Elder one looked scorching despite his white-grey dreadlocks which must have meant he'd been around for a very long time and was older than the trio.

She mentally kicked herself. She was in a life-or-death situation here, and all she could think of were their bodies. She prayed to the Gods that they didn't decide to up and kill her. It would just be a fruitless task, and they'd never get to know where the owner of the necklace was at.

Kayle took a breath in, the air seemed stale and not exactly healthy, then again they were sitting deep inside of a cave. She couldn't complain, even though it was dirty down here and was ruining her favourite dress, even her bow started to come undone and was just the slightest bit filthy. She would have to get some of her servants to wash them over and over until every single stain was gone, which would take a lot of time.

The princess was snapped back into reality when the Elder grabbed her by the arm, pulling her to her feet like she weighed absolutely nothing. They all wore masks, so she could never tell what their expressions were- if they were upset or anything else. She bit her lower lip, a bit afraid as to what he was thinking about doing to her, if anything. Her shoulder started to hurt as he held her up, looking to be examining her.

She let out a relieved, silent sigh when he released her, her hand going up to rub the spot he hand grabbed. Kayle didn't like this, it made her nervous. They could rip her to shreds, but they didn't.

The Elder gestured to the trio, and they simply nodded, walking to the opposite side of the cave, waiting beside the entrance. Kayle felt her heart skip a beat, fearing what he was going to do. It surprised her when he simply gestured her to follow him as he walked over to the pool she was staring into just a bit ago.

She gulped, looking to the ground as she walked after him, standing beside him as he looked down at the water.

He looked towards her, a gentle but deep croaking sound leaving the back of his throat. She could see his colouration thanks to the bright pool, how pale he looked, his skin seeming to lose bright pigment much like his hair... if it could be called that. He had tiger stripes along his sides, a few going down his biceps, and some along the thighs from what she could see. They used to be orange she presumed, but looked more faded now, a gross, grey-ish colour.

**"Ooman."** he spoke suddenly, voice so deep she could almost feel the vibrations through the air and ground.

She hesitantly looked at his face, trying to pass off like she wasn't just staring at his muscular body, "...Yes?" she was hoping that with his old age, he'd be able to speak fluent English, having been probably introduced to it all the times he had been to Earth, if that was the case.

He gave a growl as he turned fully towards her, hands clenching then relaxing over and over, his head held up high, **"You should learn to have respect for my Warriors. They would be more than happy to rip you apart, royalty or not. Do not talk back to them, do not go against their wishes. Is that clear?"** he rumbled. Gods, he sounded like a dragon. All he needed was the wings, as for the face she was unsure. She didn't get to see him without it.

Why were they wearing those masks, anyway? Were they ugly? could they not breath oxygen? She'd probably find out eventually if one of them dared to remove the strange metal covering from their faces. She bet they were actually handsome- a good-looking face to compliment a good-looking body.

_**"Is. That. Clear."**_ he growled out again, this time in a demanding tone, flexing his fingers. Kayle quickly nodded.

"Yes... of course." she offered a bow, grabbing the sides of her dress as she did so.

**"...Good. Now..."** he pointed towards the trio, **"Go join them. They'll be... requiring your ****_assistance_****."**

Oh she didn't like the sound of that. She swallowed her pride, and the fear that had been building up in her petite form, quickly walking over to the three towering beings, her steps slowing as she got closer to them.

The one that had brought her here reached out his hand as the other two began their way up the entrance. It was like he was inviting her to dance, only he was probably going to drag her up the slight hill that he had dragged her down in the first place.

She held up her head, giving him the same bow she had the Elder before taking his hand in her own. He cocked his head, letting out a very strange purr. He seemed to have liked that.

Kayle grabbed her dress, holding it up so it didn't get any dirtier than it already was as she was guided through the dark by the large beast. He was being much more gentle than before, when he was practically tugging and towing her around. She appreciated it, he even stopped and waited for her to catch up when she couldn't find her footing. She felt shivers go up her spine- the kind you'd get from a cold breeze making contact with your form- whenever she got too close to him, feeling heat radiating off of him.

He would, in all honesty, make the best blanket around. He was just so damn warm, and the feeling of his hand around her own was so nice.

She squeaked once she saw outside start to come into view, the cave slowly lighting up more and more. She felt hope run through her as she picked up her pace, almost beginning to drag him. Which would be impossible, he weighed at least a ton, she wouldn't be able to do that without a lot of help, or if they were in water. Water seemed to be something that allowed heavy objects to lose some of their weight, becoming easy to carry.

She took a deep breath of air into her lungs, loving the scent of the forest. It was way better than the cave, so fresh, so nice and full of life. She looked back at the three beasts. Why was she calling them beasts? Maybe it was just because of how they sounded- they growled and roared and hissed... It was just easier.

Kayle brushed a hand through her hair, taking out the bow before she retied it, wishing she had a sheet of glass in front of her to see if it looked right.

She felt the ground rumble, thinking at first it was an earthquake, but no, it was just one of the mythical beings walking towards her, again, the same one that found and saved her in the first place. She smiled, but was unsure if they knew what smiles really were.

"...So, how exactly can I help you?" she asked, messing with her dress, making it twist back and forth with her hands, "Do you want me to just... wander around or what?"

Did they even understand? Yes, of course they did, they spoke English back there, but this one seemed more at ease with it that the other two. He brought up a hand, almost causing the Princess to flinch as his knuckle brushed past her cheek before returning to his side as he stepped back.

Suddenly, his brothers vanished, leaving only distorted-looking air, he gave a soft growl, pressing a few buttons on his gauntlet before he, too, vanished.

_**"Run."**_ was all he muttered.

Kayle blinked, feeling her heart begin to pump, pounding up against her chest, threatening to jump out of her chest and leave her there. She turned and began doing as he said, so happy she wasn't wearing heels, heels were hard to run in, it was possible, but it took so long to get it down.

She stopped once she felt like she got far enough away from the cave, not being able to see it anymore. She sighed. If she knew her run away plan was going to go like this, she wasn't sure if she'd still do it or just go through with the wedding.

Kayle pursed her lips, looking around for any signs of the larger beings, not seeing anything thanks to the dark sky. Soon enough, the sun would appear and everything would be better. But, for now, she just had to deal with it.

Just like she had to deal with taking orders from the alien beings. She wasn't use to it, she was far more use to taking orders from mainly her parents, but from things she knew nothing about? Not too thrilling.

She huffed, holding her head up high as she puffed out her chest, holding up her dress as she began to walk, running didn't seem like something she had to do now. She was sure he had told her to do that so she could get a head start and so she could get as far away from their hiding spot as possible.

It seemed ridiculous, but what could she do? Nothing really. She just had to do what they wanted her to do, and maybe she'd be free to go. Only one of them seemed to really have an interest in her she noted, of course it was the one that had brought her to the others in the first place. She would have been dead by now if not for him.

She shivered at the thought of him. He was so strong, he moved without flaws, he was just so hypnotizing. His colours were also so beautiful to look at, making her secretly gawk at him. If anything, she would prefer to be wedded to him rather than the Prince her father had chosen.

Well, she was certain he wasn't a prince in his culture, if they had royalty or not she was unsure about that whole thing. They seemed more clan based as she figured, taking orders from the higher-ups, kind of like her own people but different. Key words being kind of.

Kayle looked around, hearing the leafs of trees rustle, some even falling down. The changing of the seasons was always nice, the leafs changing colours, falling off so that new ones, greener than ever before could grow. For a few minutes, she felt like she wasn't under the pressure of the large creatures, but was back to a time when she didn't know they existed.

She stopped in her tracks as she heard something start to approach her, growling. She slowly turned to see two wolves staring at her, showing their teeth as their tails went straight up, a sign of being alert.

Kayle squeaked, backing up too quickly, for she tripped over her own feet and fell down. Oh Gods, please let them be watching, please let them help.

The wolves approached her slowly, barking at her before they pounced at the same time, only to be instantly met with a net flying at a fast enough speed to grab them both. She screamed, standing up as she watched the net grow tighter around the wolves, listening to them whine as blood began to spurt from their squished bodies, kililng them. She placed her hands over her mouth before turning away, tears coming to her eyes.

Out of the darkness, she saw him, the one with the brightly coloured skin that she had met when she was captured by bandits, de-cloak. His left arm slowly going down as he walked over to her. She tried to get away from him, but he grabbed her arm as gently as he could, pulling her to him. She pounded her fist on his bare chest.

"Release me!" she cried.

**"Calm."** he rumbled.

"No!" she, once more, pounded her fist against his broad chest, only hurting herself but not even caring. It was like punching against a brick wall.

**"What is matter?"** he asked, **"You'd be dead if not for me."** it was almost like he was _gloating_ about saving her once again, only this time it was from animals and not people.

"..." she was just freaked out, she knew they wouldn't have any mercy towards her had he not been there, but watching them slowly die via his net? That was what scared her the most. It terrified her, caused her to remember just how brutal he could be.

He released her, causing her to slump down to the ground now that she was free to do what she willed, a look of utter fear claiming her facial features. Why was she so afraid? He wasn't going to do that to her... right?

He crouched down, cocking his head to the side as he watched her closely. She could feel him staring at her intensly from behind the dark lenses of his nickle-bright mask, heat radiating off of his body like a fire. Gods, he was so hot, literally speaking.

She bit her lower lip, shutting her eyes.

"...You're... not planning on having me killed, are you?" she asked him silently.

He shook his head. A good sign. She sighed, forcing herself to look at him. She didn't want to seem weak in front of him, even though that was exactly what she was. Weak and afraid of him in particular.

**"...Pyode..."** he suddenly whispered, brushing his hand along her skin, causing her to tense up. That must have meant soft or silky, she was unsure. He must have really liked the feeling of her skin, he would touch it every chance he got, and she was contemplating if that was a good sign or a bad one. Maybe he was obsessing over it too much...

"... Y..Yes.." she mumbled, hesitantly placing her hand on top of his, feeling as he, too, tensed up like her. She furrowed her brows, feeling his hand. It felt like he was wearing some sort of leather, fingerless glove that was ripped up in places, only exposing some of his reptilian-like skin and his fingers. "... strange..." she mumbled, feeling the texture of him. His palm and fingers were softer than the back of his hand, the way it molted and looked... So beautiful, unlike anything she'd ever seen before.

_"Strange..."_ his mask played back the word in her voice, startling her some. He let out a soft trill, seeming amused by the reaction.

"Do not copy me..." Kayle spoke, pouting slightly.

_"Do not copy me..." _

Gods, if _that_ was how he was going to be.

She stood up as quick as she could, his hand leaving the surface of her skin. She crossed her arms over her chest, turning her back to him. He trilled, standing up. She huffed, taking a few steps away from him.

_"Strange..."_ he played once more. She wasn't sure if he knew what the word meant, but he said it anyway.

"I think I should get back to finding some bandits, seeing as you're being a rude little boy." she giggled, trying to be playful with him. Gods she hoped he knew what playful was, "I don't think your brothers will like me staying in one place too long, especially with you." now she was just teasing and taunting him, taking a few steps away.

He growled, wrapping a hand around her slender waist, causing her to squeak as she was pulled back to him, her body making contact with his hot, muscular form. She tried to push away from him, fear building up inside of her as he held her with a tough grip.

She looked up at him, fear in her eyes.

What in the Underworld was he up to...?

* * *

**_Translation(s): _**

**_Pyode - Soft_**


End file.
